Children's Services Plan publication

A new three-year plan setting out how organisations across Edinburgh will work together to improve outcomes for children, young people and families has been published by the Edinburgh Children's Partnership.

The Children's Services Plan 2026–2029 brings together the ambitions of local partners. It builds on the progress made over the last three years while responding to new challenges identified through evidence, consultation and, crucially, the experiences of children, young people and families themselves.

At the heart of the plan is a renewed commitment to the Children’s Partnership’s shared vision that:

All of Edinburgh's children and young people enjoy their childhood and achieve their potential.

To achieve this, partners have agreed six priorities that will guide their work over the next three years:

• Reducing child poverty and inequality
• Giving every child the best start in life
• Improving wellbeing and mental health
• Strengthening youth work, inclusion and engagement
• Embedding children's participation in decision-making
• Continuing to build a more joined-up system of support

The plan recognises that, while Edinburgh is a great place for many children to grow up, too many continue to face significant inequalities. Around 18,000 children in the city are living in poverty, thousands of children are affected by housing insecurity, and demand for support continues to grow across education, health and community services. These challenges reinforce the need for partners to work together to provide earlier, more coordinated support for families.

The plan has been informed by the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment for Children and Young People, ensuring that decisions are grounded in the latest evidence about children's lives across Edinburgh.  Children and young people have played an important role in shaping the plan too. Through workshops and engagement sessions across the city, they shared what matters most to them: safe places to spend time; opportunities to play and try new experiences; trusted adults who listen; better support for family wellbeing; and easier access to information about services. They also highlighted emerging concerns about the impact of social media, racism and misogyny on their lives. These issues have been reflected in the Partnership's priorities and actions for the years ahead alongside further work to ensure children's rights and voices remain central to service design and delivery.

Alongside its focus on prevention and early intervention, the Partnership has committed to maximise its collective strength and influence to tackle inequalities, strengthen whole family support and embed equality, diversity, inclusion and trauma-informed practice into services.

Find out more about the priorities and how the Children’s Partnership will make a difference for children, young people and families across Edinburgh by reading the Edinburgh Children's Services Plan 2026–2029.